China brings back five telecom fraud suspects from Cambodia

The Ministry of Public Security announced on Friday that its "Fox Hunt" working group has successfully escorted five suspects back to China from Cambodia. These suspects had been allegedly supporting telecom fraud criminal groups by facilitating fund transfers.

It is reported that since June 2023, the five suspects recruited over 100 Chinese individuals via the internet under the pretense of offering part-time jobs and facilitating loans in Cambodia.

They allegedly helped the transfer of illicit funds from telecom fraud and other upstream crimes by purchasing virtual currencies after swiping cards to move the money, thereby laundering the proceeds. In September 2023, the Jiading Branch of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau officially launched an investigation into them.

To evade investigation, the suspects frequently changed their residences in Cambodia. In response, Shanghai's police cooperated with Cambodian law enforcement agencies through international police channels, providing information on the suspects and requesting their extradition.

In June of this year, Cambodian authorities successfully apprehended the five suspects, subsequently deciding to repatriate them to China. On September 6, the "Fox Hunt" working group escorted the five suspects back to China. The case is currently under further investigation.

Since 2014, the ministry has launched the annual "Fox Hunt" operation targeting economic crime suspects who have fled abroad. This year's operation began in April, with public security organs nationwide being instructed to intensify efforts in key cases and expand law enforcement cooperation channels.